This story starts with a book: a book of people, for without people there would be no produce. The book belongs to Vida Fresh, and the faces in this book belong to the good people who plant the seeds, tend the nurseries, till and nourish the soil, nurture the plants, carefully pick the best herbs and veggies, and pack and ship the produce which shortly arrives at your local grocery store. These are the faces of the dedicated people who work at our farm Sueño Tropical, and make everything happen.
The original intention was to create a book that would give an idea, a feeling, a visual representation of who we are to a big government agency who had no idea who we are. And in the process of collecting all of the photographs, we ourselves got a clearer image that who we are is a collection of the many hard working people of Sueño Tropical, and the book tells the story of why our produce is so good.
Vida Fresh, Inc. has been working with our farm, Sueño Tropical, in Baja California Sur, Mexico for over 25 years - ten years together as a team before Vida Fresh was established. A key component to the success of Vida Fresh and Sueño Tropical has been treating our employees with the same dignity we would with family. We compensate our employees with above minimum wage income and overtime, bimonthly payroll, vacation based on length of employment, and Seguro Social (Workers Compensation). We provide free, secure housing close to the town center and free transportation to and from the fields. We provide health Insurance/free medical treatment and childcare up to school age for employees with children. Christmas Bonuses are given equivalent to 15 days salary, and yearly bonuses are paid based on the net profit of Sueño Tropical. We provide free water and a 50% electricity subsidy.
Sueño Tropical’s employees live in the community, with sovereignty and dignity, and conduct their lives as they choose. They have chosen to stay, and we now have two generations of families still working with us. We take our employees and their well-being very seriously.
We appreciate the support of our customers (from wholesale to food service to retail) and their desire to make the agricultural industry a better place for everyone. By educating people to buy produce from those farmers like Sueño Tropical that value human dignity more than the bottom line, and realizing the true cost of produce, we can affect a better world.
Contact:
Andrew Walsh
Vida Fresh
Tel: 805.772.7020